


we are living in our eternity.

by wanneable



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Angst, Childhood Friends, Crushes, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Slow Burn, Unrequited Love, astrologynerd!daehwi, dancer!woojin, im trying to feed the chamhwi tag, jinyoung is the captain of the chamhwi ship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2019-03-01 22:18:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13304481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanneable/pseuds/wanneable
Summary: Daehwi meets Park Woojin the summer after he turned 8.Daehwi falls in love with Park Woojin the summer after he turned 16.





	1. let's not make promises

**Author's Note:**

> hi!! the title of this fic is taken from choi minki's solo song "paradise"
> 
> also, i know nothing about the korean school system. i tried my best. 
> 
> unbetaed

It was summer when Daehwi first met Park Woojin. 

Daehwi had just turned 8. He had lived in both America and Japan for different amounts of time before his mother decided that it as time for them to move back to Korea, and start their life in a small town, where the stars were beautifully visible at night and the hills behind the neighborhoods were covered with trees and other vegetation. After losing his father, this town was what Daehwi’s mother deemed as “perfect for new beginnings.”

On the other hand, Daehwi wasn’t as thrilled as he would have liked to be. He didn’t find Korea as his “home” yet, not to mention that his range of Korean vocabulary was very limited. His mother begged the young boy to at least try talk to some of the kids in their neighborhood. Being a bit of a closed off boy, it took some serious convincing before Daehwi’s mother could finally get him to even leave the comfort of their home. 

His mother took his hand and let him out the door of their home, plates of cookies stacked in the other hand. “They are for our neighbors,” she explains, observing Daehwi eye the cookies. They begin their small walk from their front door to the houses all around the neighborhood. Going door to door, Daehwi’s mother first introduces herself, then the shy boy clinging to her arm. Daehwi gives a small wave and maybe a smile, and then his mother continues with small talk regarding the neighborhood and such until handing the homeowner a plate of her cookies and announcing that they will be on their way. It goes like this for the first four houses, until they reach the fifth house on their small journey. The house is a few down from theirs, and the first thing Daehwi notices about it is the toys in the front yard. Some of them are similar to the ones in Daehwi’s own yard, he notes.

Instead of an adult answering the door, a young boy looking similar in age to Daehwi swings the door open to greet them. “Mom!” the boy turns and yells back into the house. Shortly after, a woman appears at the door beside the boy. Both women begin to make small talk, and Daehwi learns that the boy is a year older than him, and that they will attend the same school in the fall. Before he knew, he and his mom are being invited into the house. While the women make their way into the kitchen to continue their talk, the boys are left to sit rather awkwardly on the couch together. 

Daehwi finds himself taking small glances at the boy sitting beside him. The other boy finaly breaks the silence. “I’m Woojin. Park Woojin,” introduces himself turning his body to offer a hand out for Daehwi to shake. Daehwi timidly takes Woojin’s hand and shakes it. 

“I’m Lee Daehwi, it’s nice to meet you.”

The two boys fall into a comfortable conversation after that, each one taking a turn to discuss their favorite activities, school subjects, and video games. Daehwi learns that Woojin has been taking dance lessons at a small studio in town for most of his life, and Daehwi admires the older boy for it. He had always wanted to learn how to dance. Daehwi struggles to find words but tells Woojin of his love for science and the stars, and Woojin tells him about how visible the stars are at night. Daehwi nods along, even though he’s spent most of his time out of the house in his own backyard, using the telescope his father had bought him to stare at the night sky. 

A few moments later, Daehwi’s mother appears from the kitchen to announce that it’s time for them to depart, so Daehwi mutters a small “goodbye” to Woojin. 

Woojin smiles at Daehwi before suggesting, “why don’t you come over tomorrow, Daehwi?”

Daehwi glances up at his mother standing beside him, who smiles at him and gives him a small nod. He thinks he might have found his first friend.

-

 

The rest of Daehwi’s summer is spent with Woojin. He doesn’t know whether he’s spent more time at Woojin’s house or his own. Woojin helps Daehwi learn Korean much faster than he would have been able to on his own, and in return, Daehwi teaches Woojin a few phrases in English. School comes quicker than either boy expected, and Daehwi is sad to learn that, because of the age difference, he won’t have any classes with the other. Everyday before classes start, though, Daehwi would leave 5 minutes early from his own house to meet Woojin at his front door, and they begin the walk to school side by side. Woojin never forgets to wave at Daehwi when they pass in the halls or in the small school’s lunchroom. Daehwi finds it sad that he is a year below Woojin, therefore prohibiting them from having any classes together, but Woojin makes up for it by waiting for the younger boy everyday by the entrance gate to walk him home. Some days, they go to Woojin’s house, and other days are spent at Daehwi’s. 

Eventually, Daehwi begins to make other friends at his new school as time goes by, such as Bae Jinyoung. Daehwi had assumed the boy was a bit closed off when they were first introduced to each other, but Daehwi soon learns that the other boy is full of life, with a passion for video games.

Soon enough, Woojin moves up from primary school to his secondary school, leaving Daehwi to walk alone to school for a year. It doesn’t bother the younger too much, though, as Woojin always makes sure to see Daehwi after school, often offering to take him to the small arcade in town or to just hang around the elder’s house.

Daehwi’s favorite nights, though, are when Woojin comes over at impossibly late times, a blanket in one hand and a star guide in another. Daehwi always enjoys stargazing in his backyard with Woojin, a blanket shared between the two of them, Woojin smiling at him as Daehwi points out all of his favorite constellations. 

The summer after Daehwi turned 15, Woojin showed up at Daehwi’s window at approximately 2 in the morning, lightly tapping at the glass until Daehwi woke up and was able to unlock it. Woojin proceeds to climb in the open window, grabbing Daehwi’s hand. “I’m taking you somewhere special, you have 5 minutes to get ready.”

“What?” a tired and confused Daehwi questions, attempting to rub the sleep out of his eyes. Woojin takes it upon himself to sort through Daehwi’s dresser to find clothing appropriate for their outing (he tries to not find the stash of his own shirts, clearly worn by the younger, shoved in one of the drawers, cute.)

“We don’t have time to waste, Daehwi. This is going to be the best summer night you’ve ever had, and you’ll be worshipping the ground I walk on once you realize how awesome the place I’m taking you is.” The elder finishes his statement with a smirk.

“Fat chance,” Daehwi fires back, eyes still filled with sleep.

“We don’t have time for this, I’m losing beauty sleep for you.”

The place that Woojin brought Daehwi to is awesome, Daehwi decides. It’s a small open hillside behind the neighborhoods of their town, but the view of the stars is incredible. It’s far enough away from the lights of houses and businesses, so the stars are much more visible than in his backyard. 

“Cool, right?” Woojin asks, observing the look of amazement spread across Daehwi’s face. 

“It’s perfect, hyung. Where did you even find a place like this?” Daehwi questions, not taking his eyes off of the night sky above him. 

Woojin smiles at the younger, “Do you remember me telling you about Daniel-hyung? From my new dance team? He brought me out here, saying I needed to ‘become one with nature’ or something like that. When I saw this clearing, I thought of you.”

“It’s beautiful,” Daehwi breathes out, finally peeling his eyes away from the night sky to turn his attention back to Woojin. “Thank you, really. This place is amazing. “ In this moonlight, Daehwi thinks Woojin looks ethereal, the light shining off his skin, giving it a glow. The light shines in his eyes, giving them their own sparkle.

“Anything for you, Daehwi. You are my best friend.”

 

-

Ever since that night in the clearing, Daehwi has begun to see Woojin in a new light. All throughout the rest of their summer, Daehwi’s gaze always lingers on Woojin for a few seconds too long. Whether it’s just playing video games in his basement, or lounging on the couch, his legs stretched across the younger’s, Woojin’s eyes lazily following along to a show they had playing on the television. 

A week before school starts, Daehwi finds himself at Woojin’s house almost every day of the week. It’s nighttime, and Daehwi has just decided to stay at Woojin’s residence for the night, knowing he would end up here anyways when morning came. Daehwi finds himself comfortable in bed, Woojin slipping into the covers beside the younger. They gave up on deciding who will sleep on the floor when both boys had comfortable beds that were big enough for the both of them.

Daehwi turns over to face Woojin, their faces close enough that Daehwi can see the specs of color in the other boy’s eyes. “Woojin?” he whispers, his voice barely audible. Woojin hums in response. “What are you going to do after school?”

Woojin turns over to stare at the ceiling, his eyes glossy. “I’m not sure. I’ve always thought about going to Seoul, maybe dancing,” Daehwi knows this, Woojin has talked about this dream a million times before, “but you know my parents would never allow it. They barely let me continue taking lessons at the studio on weekends.” Daehwi turns over to mimic Woojin’s position. 

“I think you should go to Seoul and dance. It makes you happy, right? Then go.”

“But my pare-“

“Who cares what your parents think? It’s what makes you happy, not your parents. I’ll support you.”

Daehwi can hear the smile in Woojin voice as he responds, “Thank you, Daehwi,” and the older lays his hand over Daehwi’s just enough that their pinky fingers overlap, but Daehwi heart begins to beat faster than he ever thought possible. Maybe a lot has changed between them.

Daehwi wonders if their friendship can last through a few obstacles in the journey of life.

The first obstacle being Park Jihoon.

Daehwi first meets Jihoon when Woojin sits down across from him and Jinyoung (lunch being one of the only times that the upperclassmen were able to freely hang out with underclassmen) but with an extra person in tow. Woojin scoots over from his usual spot to make room for the boy with golden brown hair and full cheeks, who shyly joins them at the table. Daehwi first makes eye contact with Jinyoung, who has gotten good at reading him through the past years. “Don’t say anything”, Jinyoung’s gaze seems to say, and Daehwi gives his friend a small smile before turning his attention to Woojin in a silent question.

“Daehwi, Jinyoung,” Woojin addresses them, and pauses. “This is Park Jihoon, my new friend. We have civics together.”

Daehwi politely smiles at the latest addition to their table, “It’s nice to meet you, Jihoon. Like Woojin said, I’m Daehwi, and this is Jinyoung,” he introduces, tilting his head slightly towards Jinyoung. Jihoon smiles at him. 

“It’s nice to meet you too, Daehwi.”

 

When Woojin first picks Jihoon over him, Daehwi tells himself it’s just school work. After all, Woojin had told him that he had invited Jihoon over to work on homework, so it doesn’t bother him as much. Daehwi finds himself worrying, though, when Woojin isn’t able to come over during their winter break. Not to mention that Jihoon has joined them for lunch every day since the first incident. To help himself think straight, Daehwi invites the ever so steady-headed friend Bae Jinyoung to his house to help sort himself.

“I see,” Jinyoung simply states as Daehwi finishes explaining what had happened. “I was your second-choice invite.”

Daehwi’s eyes get widen at this as he looks up to meet Jinyoung’s eyes from his spot on his bedroom floor. “No! Not at all! I ju-“

“I’m kidding, Daehwi,” Jinyoung smiles at him then, and Daehwi feels himself relax. “Besides, I don’t think Woojin is ditching you for Jihoon. I mean, you all have been inseparable since you were 8, and you are about to turn 16. It’s normal to talk to other people. You have me, Woojin has Jihoon, but you two are still best friends. It’s just one night, anyways, you’ll still get to see him for the rest of winter break.”

Even though he knows the other is right, he continues to pout, “I just want him all to myself-“

“Sounds like you have a crush on him or something. Maybe deeper than a crush.”

What?

“What?”

“Think about it, Daehwi,” Jinyonug begins, “have you ever viewed Woojin as more than just your friend?”

Daehwi thinks back to all of the times he’s thought about holding Woojin’s hands in his own, all of the times he’s wanted to take Woojin’s face in his hands and kiss his face all over. Daehwi’s silence is a good enough answer for Jinyoung.

“I knew it.”

Daehwi breaks eye contact with the other. “He doesn’t even like boys. South Korea isn’t exactly the most open-minded country. If I did tell him how I feel, what if he hates me? I would rather keep this very small crush to myself. It’s not like it will amount to much anyways.”

Jinyoung shakes his head, “Woojin could never hate you. I might not know him as well as you do, but I know enough about him to know that he would never hate you. He cherishes you, Daehwi. Everyone sees it.”

Daehwi wishes that he could see it himself.

 

-

 

“What’s up with you and Daehwi?” Jihoon asks Woojin out of the blue, right as they were going to bed. 

“We are best friends, have been for years.”

Jihoon rolls over in the bed to look at Woojin, who was lying uncomfortably in his spot on his floor. “Really? There isn’t anything there? And I told you that there was enough room for the both of us on your bed.”

Woojin shakes his head, “I’m fine, and me and Daehwi? No way.”

Jihoon turns back over, unconvinced, “Okay, Woojin, goodnight.”

Woojin is already lost in thought, “goodnight.”


	2. so i will tell you what you mean to me.

Winter break passes by without further incident. Daehwi spends a few days at Woojin’s house, and a few days at Jinyoung’s. Their first day back to school is pretty much uneventful, although Jihoon is still sitting with them at lunch, but Daehwi has begun to learn to appreciate the older boy’s presence. Jihoon shares the same love of popular girl groups, so once they are able to break the ice, they hit it off.

By their second week into the semester, though, their small lunch group grows a bit bigger when a tall, black-haired boy sits down beside Jinyoung. “This is Guanlin. He transferred from Taiwan, so he doesn’t know much Korean. I’ve been instructed to show him around school.” Jinyoung explained, and both Woojin and Daehwi perk up. 

“I can help. Not to brag, but I singlehandedly taught Daehwi all of the Korean he knows,” Woojin informs the group, smirking and leaning back in his lunch. Both Daehwi and Jihoon scoff. Daehwi launches a grape off his lunch tray at the older boy. 

“Hyung, you taught me, like, 100 words. You would always get distracted and start playing video games, and you gave me no choice but to join you.”

 

Everyone at the small lunch table, including Guanlin, watch the boys bicker back and forth until Daehwi finally silences Woojin with a finger to the older boy’s mouth in a show of silence. “Hush,” he commands, and the older surprisingly complies. Daehwi then turns to the lanky boy, “Guanlin, do you speak English?” After receiving a nod in response, the two boys launch in a conversation in complete English, leaving the other 3 boys dumbfounded.

After a few minutes, Daehwi turns back to the rest of the group. “Guanlin is going to meet me at Woojin’s house after school today for extra Korean lessons.

“My house? I’m very busy today.”

Jihoon smirks, “with what? We don’t have dance, and it’s not like you study.”

 

-

 

Daehwi learns quite a few things about Guanlin as the evening goes by. He has one of the cutest smiles either boy has ever seen. The boy is able to learn things easily, and by the end of the first night, he has learned a few simple phrases. He’s proud of the younger boy, and the smile Guanlin gives him and Woojin as he’s walking out the door is enough to make the evening full of Korean learning books worth it. 

“He’s cute,” Daehwi absentmindedly tells Woojin as they sit down on the elder’s couch to watch a movie, a bowl of popcorn situated between the two of them. 

Woojin hums in response as their movie begins. Daehwi notes the silence that falls through the house. “Are your parents out again?”

Not taking his eyes off the movie, the older boy nods. “They are each on a business trip, except both weeks they are gone overlapped this time. Honestly, I don’t know why they trust me enough to leave me here. I just turned 17, and everyone knows that I’m not exactly the most responsible guy in the world.”

“You’re not here alone. I mean, when am I not at your house?”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

Daehwi shoves Woojin with all the strength he can manage, but both boys are smiling. The moments like these are the ones Daehwi has grown fond of. He feels safe with Woojin. It was moments like these that made Daehwi’s heart grow, the thoughts in his head being clouded over with memories of Park Woojin’s smile. These thoughts are what fuel the fire of Daehwi’s crush.

The next few months pass without incident. Daehwi celebrates his 16th birthday with a dinner his mom prepared for her son and his gang of friends, and Guanlin was able to hold a conversation with Daehwi’s mother in complete Korean, and Daehwi had never felt prouder. Woojin held the birthday boy’s hand as he blew out his candles, and Jinyoung never failed to tease him about it. 

Winter fades into Spring, and Woojin and Jihoon announce their upcoming dance showcase at lunch one day in early March. Daehwi erupts into applause (“Daehwi, why are you clapping? We haven’t even performed yet.”) and Jinyoung flashes the two a thumbs-up. (“You really have a way with words, don’t you Jinyoung?”) They explain that they will have to practice during most weekdays and on weekends. 

“I’m performing a duet with Daniel-hyung. The Daniel. Dance team captain Daniel,” Woojin mumbles in awe, and Jihoon flicks him in the head. “I can’t believe he wanted to dance with you. I would have been a much better partner. I got stuck in a group with kids I hardly know.” 

Woojin wasn’t kidding when he said they would be practicing quite a bit. It has been 2 weeks since the announcement of their summer showcase, and Daehwi has only seen Woojin after once. He’s taken to spending weekends at Jinyoung’s place, Guanlin gladly accepting Jinyoung’s invite as well. April brings both humidity and rain, so their days are mostly spent inside, unless it isn’t, well, humid or raining. Jinyoung is teaching Guanlin how to play some video game he recently bought, therefore Daehwi takes to scrolling through his social media feeds, smiling at a picture of a sweaty Woojin looking caught off guard in a picture Jihoon posted. 

“Have you confessed yet?” Jinyoung questions, peeking at Daehwi’s phone from over his shoulder, causing said phone owner to yelp in surprise. “No, I have not! Keep your voice down, Guanlin could hear you!”

“Please,” Jinyoung scoffs at the younger. “You stare at Woojin like he’s your god or something. You are way too obvious.”

“No, I am n-“

“Yes, you are,” Guanlin informs him from his spot on the couch, his eyes not once leaving the television screen, surprising both Daehwi and Jinyoung, as they immediately turn to face the youngest. “I can understand everything you are saying, and yes, Daehwi is very obvious. I see it.”

“Why did I offer this kid extra lessons,” Daehwi mumbles to the ceiling before facing the boys in front of him. “Yes, okay. I have a big fat gay crush on Park Woojin. Happy now?”

“You need to tell him, Daehwi, or someone else will come by and sweep him off the market.” Jinyoung tells him, his gaze softening. “Woojin loves you too much to ever abandon your friendship over a crush. And if he does, he doesn’t deserve your love.”

“I never said I love him.”

“You don’t need to. The way you look at him tells me you love him, the way you constantly make fun of him yet protect him like your life depends on it. The way you act towards him, he softens your edges, even if you don’t see it. I may not have been in your life as long as Woojin has, but I’ve been in your life long enough to know you, Daehwi.” Jinyoung finishes his speech with a simple statement. “You love him.”

Daehwi starts to think that he is right. 

 

-

 

It was summer when Daehwi decided to confess to Woojin. He was ready. It took two months of convincing, both from himself and Jinyoung and Guanlin. The way Daehwi had begun to look at it, he figured that there was no better time than the present. They were slowing approaching Woojin and Jihoon’s last year at school before they graduated, and Daehwi knew that if he didn’t make his move now, the time would never come. A week before Woojin and Jihoon’s summer showcase, he reviewed his plan over the phone with Guanlin.

“He’s coming over after the showcase, so I’ll tell him them.”

“Right.”

“He will have done at his showcase, so I’ll give him the flowers I bought. We will both be happy.”

“Right.”

“And right before we get in bed, I’ll just tell him. ‘Woojin, I like you.’”

“Right.”

“Thanks for the feedback, Lin.”

“You’re welcome, Hwi.”

Daehwi hangs up the phone feeling lighter than before. Nothing can go wrong with the plan.

 

It’s showcase day. “I’m nervous,” is the first thing that leaves Daehwi’s mouth as he takes a seat beside Jinyoung in their school auditorium. 

“Why are you nervous? You are performing.” Daehwi gives Jinyoung a sideways glance after his statement, and finds Jinyoung smirking. 

“You know what I’m talking about,” he mumbles in response as Guanlin shows up and occupies the seat to Daehwi’s left. 

“Are you nervous?” The youngest boy asks, provoking Jinyoung to lean over Daehwi to answer.

“He gave his answer when he arrived, he is in fact, very nervous.”

Guanlin grins at the both of them before answering, “well, he shouldn’t be. He made me review this ‘plan’ with him every day for the past week.”

“Be quiet,” Daehwi shushes both boys. “The captain just walked out on stage.” At these words, the boys cease their conversation to turn their focus to the stage. Just as Daehwi had said, Kang Daniel was currently attempting to adjust a mic stand to better fit his height.

“Bet I’m taller than him,” Guanlin muttered to no one in particular, which prompted Jinyoung to lean over Daehwi yet again.

“Of course you are, Guanlin, you’re taller than most people in our school. You can’t help that you’re built like a noodle.”

“I am n-“

“I’m only going to say this one more time, be quiet! Daniel has started talking.” Daehwi scolds them. Jinyoung and Guanlin exchange a glance before returning to their normal sitting positions in their uncomfortable auditorium seats. Daniel begins by introducing the club and stating a few things about it. Daehwi has absolutely no clue what some of the terms mean, but he listens nonetheless. He then goes on to present the first dance, and the showcase begins from there. Daehwi watches the performances well, mentally commenting on the students he knows, and the ones he doesn’t. 

Jihoon performs in his group well, and their dance is enjoyable to watch, with an upbeat song as their music. Daehwi recognizes the dance as popping, and although he doesn’t know much about the style, he supposes that the performance was executed well. 

Finally, Daniel retakes the stage to announce the final performance of him and Woojin. Daehwi feels his heart flutter. Woojin had gushed about this dance for weeks and the thought of finally seeing him perform it is enough to take Daehwi’s breath away. Woojin walks out from the wing to join Daniel on stage, where he flashes a nervous smile to the older. They take their positions, and the music begins flowing through the auditorium. 

To say the least, the dance is beautiful. It’s flowing, but to the point where it isn’t stopping. A simple move flows into a sharp turn, and the performance keeps Daehwi on the edge of his seat. Woojin looks absolutely stunning, executing the moves with a raw passion. The powerful movements of the choreography is enough to silence the audience until the final pose, when everyone immediately errupts in applause. Daehwi can’t help but to give the duet a standing ovation, yelling at the top of his lungs. (“Daehwi, please, sit down. Everyone is staring at you.”)

 

-

Daehwi meets Woojin in the front lobby of the school, where the backstage leads to. The dancer, covered in fresh sweat, runs up to the trio of boys, Jihoon in tow. Woojin grins at his best friend, and envelops the smaller boy in a bone-crushing hug. “You did so good, I’m proud of you, hyung.” Daehwi whispers, resting his chin on Woojin’s shoulder. 

“Hey, now you’re making it sound like I’m the younger one,” Woojin whispers back, squeezing just a bit tighter. The blush creeping onto the younger boy’s cheeks is hard to miss. Daehwi hears Jihoon speak to the others just as Woojin is releasing him from his grip. “I’ll catch you guys later,” Jihoon says, waving at all of them and giving the other Park a small smile. Jihoon must be as proud of him as I am, Daehwi thinks, after all, he’s the one with actual knowledge in dancing. Woojin smiles back.

“Are you ready to go?” Daehwi asks, turning back to Woojin, who looks away from Jihoon’s leaving figure to give him a small nod. “I have a gift for you at my home.”

“If it’s not food, I don’t want it,” Woojin jokes with him, nudging him in his side. They both turn back to Jinyoung and Guanlin and send them well-wishes on their ways home before making their way towards the school’s exit. Daehwi glances back at the two just in time to catch Guanlin sending him over-exaggerated winks and Jinyoung raising his eyebrows ridiculously high on his forehead. He makes a mental note to ask a higher spirit why he was given these two idiots as friends.

 

“I was so nervous, up on the stage,” Woojin quietly tells Daehwi halfway through their walk. “What if I messed up? What if I blanked? I would’ve been able to forgive myself. I know it was a small showcase, but I just felt like I had something to prove, you know? I’m just not sure what.”

Daehwi nods along to Woojin’s words, of course he knew. Woojin was always trying to prove himself when it came to dance. The younger boy believed that he was trying to convince himself that dance was something that could bring real value to his life, contrary to his parents’ remarks against it. “You did good, Woojin. It was breathtaking, really.”

“I could tell. I saw you standing up and screaming in the audience, despite the bright lights shining directly into my eyes.” Woojin tells Daehwi, causing the younger to blush. 

“I was excited, okay?” Daehwi defends himself as the turn to walk up his sidewalk to the front door. “I’m sorry your parents weren’t able to make it.”

Woojin shrugs, “It’s nothing,” he brushes off Daehwi’s concern, even though he knows it hurts Woojin that his parents don’t make a bigger effort to be in his life. “Thanks for letting me stay over.”

“Of course, you know you’re welcome anytime,” Daehwi tells the older boy as he swings the door open, kicking off his shoes and setting them down. “I think my mom likes you more than she likes me.”

The boys eat something small in the dining room together before retiring to Daehwi’s room, his mother already in her own bed. “So, where is my gift I was informed about?” Woojin asks, plopping himself down on Daehwi’s bed. Daehwi rolls his eyes at the older. 

“Patience,” he mumbles to the current occupant of his bed. “I’ll go get it.” The brown-haired boy slips out of his room to sprint to the kitchen, where he was trying his best to keep the fresh flowers alive by placing them in a vase. He quickly grabs them, grouping them together again before returning to the hallway, calling out a “hyung, close your eyes!” to Woojin before walking through the doorframe. 

Holding the flowers out in front of Woojin, Daehwi whispers “okay, open them.” He watches as Woojin slowly opens his eyes before focusing on the bundle of flowers in Daehwi’s outstretched hands, and breaks out into a grin that can only be rivaled by the sun.

“You got me flowers?” Woojin asks in wonder. “I don’t know what to say, Hwi. No one has gotten me flowers before, especially not for a dance performance. Thank you.”  
“You’re welcome,” Daehwi responds, letting Woojin take the flowers from his hands. The flowers mean so much more than a dance performance, of course, but Daehwi will wait to share that detail until after his confession. Woojin rests the flowers beside him before Daehwi continues, “I have a vase for them downstairs, if you want me to bring it up.”

Woojin’s smile gets impossibly bigger, “Of course. I want to preserve these for as long as possible.” Daehwi returns his grin before sprinting yet again to his kitchen to haul the vase back up to his bedroom. Placing the vase on the dresser, Daehwi helps Woojin add the flowers. After finishing, the younger boy joins Woojin by sitting beside him on his bed, his heart beating one hundred miles a minute. He takes in a breath, ready to let his feelings pour out to Woojin.

“Woojin, I-“

“Jihoon and I are dating.”

Daehwi’s breath catches in his throat, his head spinning. It wasn’t possible. Woojin and Jihoon. Woojin and Jihoon were dating. Jinyoung was right, he waited too long to confess, and now he lost the person who meant the most to him.

“Daehwi? Are you mad? Please, say something,” Woojin pleads with the younger, glancing down to try and meet Daehwi’s hooded eyes. Daehwi takes a breath before plastering on the best smile he could manage. 

“I’m happy for you, Woojin, really. That’s amazing. Send Jihoon my congrats as well.” Daehwi completes his statement with a shaky breath, hoping Woojin wouldn’t notice his fluttering eyes.

“Really? You’re not, like, against it?” Woojin questions, an unsure smile playing on his lips. 

“Of course not, hyung,” Daehwi tells him, shaking his head. “He makes you happy, right? That’s all that matters.”

“Yeah, he does,” He grins again, and Daehwi curses at the fluttering feeling in his chest. “Now, what were you saying before I rudely interrupted you?”

“Nothing, don’t worry about it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SORRY DAEHWI
> 
> as always my twitter is @daehwisclub


	3. being with you.

“Good morning.” 

Daehwi attempts to rub the sleep out of his eyes and flips over in his bed to greet the familiar voice. Woojin is standing across the room, slipping his feet into his shoes. “Hwi, I’ve got to go somewhere,” the older boy explains, his voice soft and laced with sleep. Daehwi glances at the time on his phone, which tells him that it’s barely 9 in the morning. 

“Where are you going?” Daehwi asks. After all, who goes out at 9 in the morning on a Saturday in the summertime? 

“Don’t worry about it.” Woojin’s response is weird. All throughout his friendship with Woojin, Daehwi knows that they have never kept secrets. Whether it was Woojin being upset over his parents missing something in his life because they were too busy on the phone, or when Daehwi could no longer hold the tears for his father in, they were always there to rely on each other. While this isn’t anything major, the only undiscussed topic that could even seem logical pops into Daehwi’s mind.

Jihoon.

It shouldn’t bother Daehwi as much as it does. Why did Woojin have to leave him to see Jihoon? The younger knows that his thoughts are wrong, because if Jihoon makes Woojin happy, then who is he to try and stop it. 

Daehwi just wants to ask one thing, and he takes the opportunity to when Woojin is two steps from the doorway. “When did you start dating?”

Woojin stops and pauses for a moment, before slowly turning around to face Daehwi once again. “Right after my performance last night. Once I got off stage, he came up and kissed me. I was surprised, you know, who wouldn’t be? So, then he asked me out, and I said yes.” 

Daehwi softly smiles at the older, and nods. Woojin returns his smile with his own grin, “See you, Daehwi.” With that, he slips out the door.

Daehwi notices that he left the flowers. 

 

Jinyoung picks up his phone on the third ring.

“I’m coming over. Call and tell Lin to be there too or I’ll rip his noodle limbs off. Also, tell him I kindly request that he bring chocolate ice cream.”

“I already have chocolate ice cream.”

“Perfect.”

Daehwi wastes no time on throwing on some clothes that were lying around his bedroom and slipping out his front door, praying that his mother was still asleep. He didn’t want to have to explain where Woojin went so early in the morning. He has never been so glad that Jinyoung’s house is only a five-minute walk away, as his legs are still tired from waking up less than 30 minutes ago. Not wanting to wake up anyone in Jinyoung’s house who may still be asleep, Daehwi instead turns to calling the boy to ask him to unlock the door. A few moments later, the front door opens with a click.

“Don’t say anything until Noodle gets here.” Jinyoung warns Daehwi as soon as the door swings open. 

“Are we calling him ‘Noodle’ now?”

“You call him ‘Lin’, so I needed a cute nickname for him.”

-

“My plan didn’t work.” 

The three boys are comfortably sitting around Jinyoung’s room. Jinyoung and Guanlin can’t help but glance at each other. “What happened?” 

“Woojin is dating someone else.” The realization finally sets in. If only he had actually listened to Jinyoung and pursued Woojin, he might have been able to capture his best friend’s heart. But, because of how scared he was, he lost the chance to even attempt to have something with Woojin.

“Who is it?” Jinyoung cautiously asked from his spot sitting on his bed, as he didn’t want to make the boy even more upset. 

“Jihoon,” Daehwi whispers, glancing up at them. 

“Jihoon? Park Jihoon? Dance-team-member-our-friend Jihoon?” Guanlin questions. When Daehwi said Woojin was dating someone else, neither Guanlin nor Jinyoung expected Jihoon’s name to leave the other’s lips. 

Daehwi nods, “Yeah, that Jihoon. It’s whatever, I guess, Woojin is happy, and I’m guessing Jihoon is too, so who am I to stop it? Now, where is your ice cream?” 

The boys spend the rest of the afternoon in Jinyoung’s bedroom, watching movies and eating all the ice cream they can manage. Eventually, Guanlin leaves to go home, and soon after, Daehwi follows. Before Daehwi, however, Jinyoung grabs his wrist at the last moment. “Just talk to him, Daehwi.”

 

-

 

The school year begins, and their lives go on. Daehwi learns to accept that Woojin is dating Jihoon, and so when he notices them secretly hold hands until the lunch table, or when he catches Woojin rubbing his leg against Jihoon’s, he pretends not to notice. He still spends time with Woojin, but it’s different now, and they both know it. They just can’t figure out what is different about their friendship.

Daehwi also learns to not hold a grudge against Jihoon. It’s not his fault that Daehwi waited too long to say something to Woojin. And so, when Woojin rushes over to Daehwi’s house late in the evening because he doesn’t know what to wear on a date, or when Woojin is practically begging to know what the best brand of chocolate is because Jihoon loves chocolate, Daehwi helps him. Daehwi helps him because they are best friends, and that’s what best friends do.

The crush that the younger had on Woojin doesn’t fade, though, but instead burns even brighter in his heart. When Woojin smiles at him, his insides burn. When Woojin texts him to wish him ‘good night’, his brain goes fuzzy.

He really hates crushes.

Summer fades into Autumn, and Daehwi knows that his time with Woojin could be cut short soon. If Woojin follows his dreams of attending a school of the arts, like Daehwi hopes he will, he knows that his best friend will out of their small town faster than Daehwi can say ‘goodbye.’ So when, on a cool November evening, Daehwi hears a tap-tap-tap on his window, he doesn’t hesitate to slide the glass pane up. 

“Dress warm, Hwi. I’m taking you for the rest of the night.” Woojin is shimming into Daehwi’s window, a blanket tucked underneath his arm. Daehwi doesn’t try to question where they are going, but instead throws a jacket on over his t-shirt. 

A few moments later, Daehwi is joining Woojin in climbing out the window, gently sliding it shut once they are both out. They make their way to the sidewalk, the sun setting ahead of them. Daehwi follows Woojin, and soon, Daehwi is able to figure out exactly where Woojin is taking him. “We are going back to that clearing. They one you took me to a few summers ago.”

They are walking side by side, so Daehwi has turn his head to notice Woojin shaking his head. “I know you haven’t been able to stargaze lately, so I thought I would bring you back here.” The boys pass under a streetlight, so Daehwi is able to clearly see Woojin’s breathtaking smile. They fall into a comfortable silence again until they arrive at their destination. 

The clearing is as beautiful as Daehwi remembers, and it causes the younger boy’s breath to hitch in his throat. The bright stars reflect in Daehwi’s eyes, and he walks further and further until he’s standing in the middle of the clearing, with Woojin laying out their blanket a few feet away. The older boy grabs Daehwi’s hand to drag him to sit down beside him, and he can’t help but comply. “I’ve missed this,” Daehwi breathes out, his eyes not leaving the night sky, and he dares to add more to his statement. “I’ve missed you.”

“I want you to come to Seoul with me, over winter break.” That pulls Daehwi to focus on Woojin. Those words were the last thing Daehwi expected to leave Woojin’s lips.

“What are you talking about?” 

“I found a school for arts, with an amazing dance program, in Seoul. They are hosting campus visits over break, and I want you to come with me.” Woojin explains, his eyes not leaving the night sky. 

“What about your parents?” Daehwi questions the brown-haired boy. “Woojin, you know that your parents won’t you travel hours to Seoul to visit a school for dance.”

“I’ve already thought of that, so I told them I want to visit a medical school.” Woojin can’t help but snort at the thought of himself attending a medical school. “They have already given me car privileges for the entire two weeks we’ll be gone”

“Oh?” The younger chuckles, “I’m supposed to trust you to drive us all the way to Seoul? Mind you, you get nervous driving to school and back.” 

Woojin glances over at Daehwi, an expression of mock hurt taking over his features. “I’ve been practicing.” 

The boys fall into a comfortable silence after that, and the both end lying on their backs to appreciate the sky more. Daehwi spends most of his time pointing out different constellations to Woojin, explaining what they are, and the meaning behind them. This goes on for quite some time until Daehwi notices that the boy beside him is no longer humming in acknowledgement to his words, but has fallen silent. He glances over to find Woojin asleep, curled on his side with his jacket wound tightly around his shoulders.

Smiling to himself, Daehwi takes this time to fully appreciate Woojin and his features. The moonlight hitting his skin provides it with a different glow compared to that of sunlight. It adds a hint of softness to the elder, his eyelashes resting delicately against his cheeks and his lips slightly parted. He gently brushes some overgrown strands of hair away from Woojin’s face before retracting his hand. He lets the boy sleep for a few minutes longer before lightly shaking his shoulder to wake him.

Daehwi lets Woojin wake up before helping him stand, folding the blanket as he struggles to blink the sleep out of his eyes. And, For once, Daehwi doesn’t complain when Woojin leans on him for support during the walk home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HA this chapter was so hard to write for some reason Daehwis character is so hard to decipher   
> as always my twitter is @daehwisclub


	4. i do it all for you.

The hardest part about going on a trip hours from home with only your best friend keeping you company? 

Convincing your mom to let you go.

For the first time in what feels like forever, he is hanging out with both Jinyoung and Woojin. He has missed having just the two of them in his life (even if he deeply loves his new friends.) They are sitting at a table of one of their favorite hangout as kids, with Jinyoung sitting in front of him and Woojin to his right. (“Oh, no, Lee Daehwi. I refuse to sit to the left of you. You and your left-handedness constantly elbow me when I’m trying to enjoy a meal and I am sick of it.”) 

The boys are currently coming with a plan on how to convince Daehwi’s mother that it’s completely safe to send her son away to Seoul for a week and a half with a boy who’s barely 18. 

“Your mom trusts me,” Woojin points out as he leans back in his seat. They have been talking for 10 minutes, but so far the only solution they have come up with is running away, which is very unrealistic. It’s not like his mother won’t notice him missing.

Woojin’s statement causes Jinyoung to scoff, “Yeah, but does she trust you enough to let you accompany her only son to Seoul and back, and be responsible for him while he is there?”

“Probably not.”

“I’ll address the key points with her,” Daehwi begins to explain. “I’ll tell her it’s a trip to visit a school, and that Woojin’s entire future depends on it.”

“Good luck with that.”

“Thank you, pessimist,” Woojin grumbles at Jinyoung, causing Jinyoung to childishly stick his tongue out at the other. 

“Who’s older, you guys or me?” Daehwi questions as he watches the exchange. “Seriously, you guys are like elementary school students.”

“Anyways,” Woojin begins, as he continues to glare at Jinyoung. “Should I come with you? To, you know, talk to your mother.”

Daehwi nods at him, “but, you are not allowed to open your mouth unless I give you a signal that it’s okay to do so,” he warns Woojin. “You got that, Park Woojin?”

“Understood.”

“Great.”

-

Daehwi finds it extremely difficult to stop pacing once he starts. He’s currently in his own living room, walking back and forth in front of the couch, which Woojin was seated on. Woojin has been over all day, and the boys were impatiently waiting for Daehwi’s mother to return from work, so they could gently ease the idea of spending winter break in Seoul into her mind. 

“Can you please sit, Hwi? I can’t see the movie playing,” the elder complains, straining to move around on the couch to attempt to watch the television. 

Glancing over at the movie playing, Daehwi sighs. “It’s a habit. It helps me think.” As Daehwi finishes, the boys hear a slight ‘click’ followed by the noise of the front door being pushed open. After what feels like hours of the boys sharing wide-eyed looks and frantic hand gestures, Daehwi’s mother gently closes the door and turns, noticing Daehwi and Woojin currently lounging in the living room.

“Oh, Woojin! It’s nice to see you again. How was your day?” Daehwi expects this. When Woojin is over, the elder suddenly becomes his mother’s favorite child, despite the fact that Daehwi is her only son. 

“My day was great,” Woojin replied, but his eyes were shooting daggers at Daehwi, and his head twitches in Daehwi’s mother’s direction was anything but subtle. Daehwi throws his arms up in exasperation, before figuring that he better get this done now. 

Carefully walking into their kitchen, where his mother currently was, Daehwi settles for standing a few steps in front of the doorway, figuring that this would be the optimal position for standing in case he may need to flee. Taking in a deep breath, Daehwi begins. “Mom? I need to ask you something. You know Woojin is leaving school at the end of this year, right? Well, he wants to go to this great university in Seoul, right? He wants to visit said school over winter break, which is great, but he doesn’t want to go alone. So what we were thinking is that I could go with him, but we would be very responsible! It will only be a week and a half, and I’ll call you every day, and so will Woojin. Woojin’s aunt lives in Seoul, and she has a spare bedroom that she said she would graciously let us stay in. So, may I please accompany him?” Daehwi pauses, until he remembers his killing statement, “Woojin’s future depends on this!”

Daehwi is out of breath by the time his finishes his speech, and he lowers his eyes to avoid making eye contact with his mother. He doesn’t take her silence as a very good sign, until he finally hears his mother speak again, “You can go, Daehwi.”

“But- what?”

“What?” That voice belonged to none other than Park Woojin himself, who, by the sound of it, was currently hiding behind the doorway. 

Daehwi looks up to meet his mother’s gaze, and she smiles, “Woojin, you can come out.” He does, and joins Daehwi, standing slightly back from the younger. “Daehwi, Woojin’s mother already called me about this. Did you really think she would leave all of this up to you two?” This causes both boys to blush, because the idea of them planning an entire trip to Seoul didn’t sound very logical. “You’ll be taking a train. Woojin, your mother has already bought the tickets.” Daehwi hears Woojin’s sigh of relief mimic his own. That’s one less thing to worry about. 

“Your mother told me about your aspriring future. Medical studies is very impressive Woojin, but I would have expected something more the arts-related.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for such a short chapter but this was the best place to cut it off  
> as always my twt is @daehwisclub!!


	5. i would follow you anywhere

The remaining days of November pass by in a blur. Daehwi blames it on both excitement and nerves. He hasn’t visited Seoul in years, and he’s not sure if it excites him or scares him more. He would no longer have the stability of his mother by his side, but instead will be accompanied by the human reincarnation of an energetic puppy. 

December brings snow and days spent with his friends, drinking hot chocolate and watching movies, but his bundle of nerves don’t fade. Soon enough, Daehwi finds himself packing his only suitcase with his warmest clothes, his mother helping him neatly arrange everything he needs. School had gotten out for the winter earlier that day, and the next morning was when he would be on his way to the nearest train station. That night, he Daehwi attempts to get a good night’s rest before the trip, but his sleep is interrupted every four minutes by incoming texts from none other than Park Woojin.

‘what do i wear??’

‘clothes.’

‘haha, funny. what do you want to do first when we get there??’

‘sleep.’

Their banter goes back and forth for hours, until Daehwi’s messages finally stop getting responses around two in the morning. He falls asleep with a smile on his face.

Sunlight and Woojin are the first things to greet him when he wakes up. The latter is sitting at his desk, drinking something from a mug that can usually be found in Daehwi’s kitchen. “Why are you in here?” is the first thing that leaves Daehwi’s lips.

“Finally, you’re awake,” Woojin sighs, setting the mug down. “Your mother let me in and made us coffee. Yours is downstairs.”

Glancing over at the clock, which tells him that it is approximately eight in the morning, Daehwi groans. “Woojin, our train doesn’t leave until 10. Why are you here now?” He can’t miss the pout that consumes Woojin’s entire face, nor the way it makes his heart beat five times faster. 

“I just wanted to get an early start on the day. My future gets decided this evening.”

“The campus tour isn’t for another 2 days.”

 

-

“You both have toothbrushes, right? And enough clothes? Did you pack scarfs?”

“Yes,” Daehwi huffs from the backseat of his mother’s car (Woojin takes pride in his older age so long as it means he gets the front seat). “I promise you, I packed everything that I need, and I packed warm clothing. I’m sure Woojin did too.”

His mother worriedly glances back at her son before focusing on the road ahead once again. They are merely a few minutes away from the closest train station, and the ball of nervousness continues to grow in Daehwi’s stomach.

It doesn’t take Daehwi’s mother long to park once she arrives, as no one is travelling so early in the morning on a weekday. Carrying their bags from the car to the station, Daehwi can’t help but wondering if Woojin is as anxious about this trip as he is. The silence between the two was slowly driving Daehwi crazy, so when his mother parts with them for a few moments to use the restroom, Daehwi takes it as an opportunity to spark up a conversation.

“Did you get to talk to Jihoon before we headed out?” is the first thing that leaves Daehwi’s mouth, and he wants to slap himself on the forehead. He’s not exactly sure why he would bring up Woojin’s relationship now. Out of his list of conversation starters, Jihoon falls pretty low.

The only response he receives is a small hum from the older, his eyes glazed over and distractedly watching something in the distance. Daehwi decides not to press any further. Shortly after the failed attempt at a conversation, his mother returns, and the comfortable silence settles once again. 

“8 o’clock train to Seoul will be arriving momentarily,” a voice announces over the aging intercom system, the message clouded by static. Both Daehwi and Woojin perk up, and Daehwi takes the opportunity to turn to his mother, but her attention is already focused on Woojin.

“Your parents would be proud of you, Woojin,” Daehwi hears her telling the elder in her motherly voice. “I’m sorry they weren’t able to be with you now, but they work to give you a good life. Woojin is nodding along to her words, and Daehwi thinks he sees tears forming in his eyes. He hasn’t seen Woojin genuinely cry in years, so he convinces himself that he is simply seeing things from the lack of sleep last night.

Before Daehwi can dwell on the scene before him any longer, their train arrives in the station, right on time. His mother takes this opportunity to hug both of the boys, and whisper encouraging words into both of their ears. The next thing he knows, Daehwi is grabbing his bags and handing in his ticket, finding a seat with Woojin following directly behind him. They settle for seats in the middle of their car, sliding their bags in the carriers above. Daehwi eases into the seat closest to the window, glancing out the window to see his mother still standing on the platform, offering him a small wave, which he returns.

Turning back to Woojin, he sees that the boy already has his laptop out and is setting up a movie for the two of them to watch. Daehwi takes the left earbud, like he always does, and lets his heart flutter at the way Woojin smiles at him before pressing play on the movie. Before they get 20 minutes into the movie, Woojin is already sleeping soundly beside him, his head hanging dangerously close to falling on Daehwi’s shoulder.

This is going to be a long ride.

 

-

 

“Your aunt is going to be here to pick us up, right?” Daehwi asks the now awake boy sitting beside him as his eyes watch the passing Seoul scenery. 

“That’s what she said,” Woojin replies, packing up his things as the automated voice comes over the speakers to announce their train would be arriving in 2 minutes. The younger boy’s hands begin to fidget as the train makes its way into the Seoul station. The worry of staying in Seoul with Woojin has yet to fade.

As their train slows to a stop, Woojin wastes no time in unbuckling his seatbelt, causing Daehwi to do the same. There was no way he would lose his best friend in Seoul, of all places. Before Daehwi can do anything, Woojin has both of their bags down and is walking towards the exits, not wasting time with mingling with the other passengers. Of course, Daehwi follows.

“I can carry my own bag,” Daehwi mumbles to the elder as they take their first steps out of their car, but Woojin just chuckles. 

“I know you can, I’m just being a good friend.” Daehwi ignores the way his cheeks turn a bright red, but instead turns to scold himself. All Woojin did was carry his bags, so why was he reacting this way? 

It only takes Woojin a quick scan at the crowd mingling at the platform to locate his aunt, and his face immediately lights up in a grin. On the part of the trip where he wasn’t asleep, Woojin had been telling Daehwi about how long it had been since he had last seen his aunt, and how much he missed her. The woman who Daehwi assumed was his aunt began walking towards them, and a closer look reveals that’s she’s almost a spitting image of Woojin’s mother, except for the fact that she looked younger.

“Woojin-ah,” the woman coos as soon as she’s within range of the boys, and immediately begins pinching Woojin’s cheeks between her fingers. Daehwi stifles a laugh as the boy begins to try and wiggle out of her grasp. “I’ve missed you. The last time I saw you, you barely reached to my shoulder, now you’re a head taller than me.”

“You’re just exaggerating,” Woojin defends, but Daehwi notices the extreme height difference as well. It’s not something easily missed.

“Well, let’s get you boys home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi im sorry that this chapter is so short but i wanted to give something out but the next chapter is longer so hopefully you can forgive me  
> trust me when i say that stuff is about to get good  
> kudos and comments are always welcome uwu


	6. our chance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i actually updated??? what???  
> im so so SO sorry i didnt update for a whole month school had me stressed but i promise to update more regularly now

The first thing Daehwi notices about Seoul is the people.

Everyone is constantly moving. There is no stopping and greeting everyone you meet on the streetside, as it is back home. Then again, back home, almost every family knew each other from long lines of living in the same place. The people of Seoul looked busy, and they all blended together to Daehwi. Infatuated in his own world of people watching, Daehwi misses Woojin’s aunt’s explanation of where exactly she lived in Seoul, but that would be information that he would soon figure out anyways.

Soon enough, the busy streets slowly turned into smaller roads, and Daehwi realized that they had reached a section of apartments in which he assumed Woojin’s aunt took residence in. The size of the apartments is what sets Daehwi off the most, and he wonders how much open space she must have in her home if she is the only resident. Unwrapping himself from his thoughts, the younger boy realizes that they have begun pulling into a parking spot, and the car soon comes to a stop. 

Next thing Daehwi knows, he and Woojin are exiting the car with their bags and are accompanying his aunt to her apartment, with her leading the way. Her apartment turned out to be on the second floor, so they trail behind her, lugging their bags up the flight of stairs. A few moments later, Woojin’s aunt begins jiggling her keys into a door in which Daehwi assumes is hers. 

“Here it is,” she sighs, pushing the door open as soon as it was unlocked. “It might not be homely, but I hope that you’ll be able to make do.” The elder boy nods, so Daehwi mimics his actions. She gives a warm smile to the both of them before turning around again and travelling deeper into the apartment. “Your room is this way.” A few seconds later, the trio arrive at another room, which Woojin’s aunt quickly pushes open to reveal Daehwi’s worst nightmare.

There is only one bed.

Daehwi inwardly groans. There must be another room somewhere in this huge apartment, as there is no way in the world that he will be able to control his emotions and heartbeat now that he is finally able to realize how much Woojin means to him. Sharing a bed had become a thing of the past, their last grasp on their childhood that they had given up for a while. Until now. Not to mention that the bed was smaller than Daehwi could have ever imagined a bed could be, so it isn’t like he would be able to ignore Woojin’s presence beside him. 

Woojin and Daehwi both glide into the room, setting their bags down on the floor in front of the bed before moving further into the room. As both of their eyes travel around their temporary home for the week, Daehwi meets Woojin’s eyes for just a moment, and his next words flow out almost naturally. “I’ll sleep on the floor, it’s fine.”

It’s hard to ignore the look of confusion Woojin gives him. “You’ll need your sleep, after all, and that bed isn’t big enough for the both of us to get enough sleep. So, I will sleep on the floor.” Daehwi hopes that Woojin doesn’t notice the way his voice strains around his own words. 

 

After Daehwi finishes making his own bed on the floor, they both decide that the best thing for them to do for the rest of the day was just stay around the apartment. Daehwi knows how anxious Woojin is to get out of the apartment and see Seoul, so they begin their plans as to what to do with their free day in the city. After hours of Woojin’s suggestions, Woojin’s aunt knocks on the door to inform them that she is making them dinner, and Daehwi finally notices how hungry he had gotten since they arrived. 

They eat around the small dining table situated in the corner of the kitchen. Dinner is eaten in a comfortable silence, only broken when Daehwi or Woojin give the woman eating with them words of praise for her excellent cooking. Once finished, the duo help Woojin’s aunt wash their dirty dishes and return them to their proper spots. They return to their bedroom after finishing u, both of the boys complaining about wanting to be rested for their upcoming day. Before they can take two steps into the room, Daehwi is grabbing blankets and throwing them to the floor. He intends to uphold his promise of sleeping on the floor, partly for Woojin to get sleep, but also for his own benefit. It was hard to sit next to the other with his heart feeling the way it did, let alone sleep beside him.

“You don’t have to sleep on the floor,” Woojin pleads once again as he watches the younger. Daehwi doesn’t want Woojin to question his behavior, so he tries to play it off as nonchalantly as he could manage. 

“I already told you,” Daehwi begins, busying himself with the blankets to avoid making eye contact with the other, “it’s fine. This is your big trip, not mine, so I want you to be able to sleep comfortably.” 

Woojin is still skeptical, but brushes it off as he begins to unpack his own bags. The two take turns using the bathroom to ready themselves for bed, and soon both boys are lying in their own beds. Daehwi is lost in thought, his hair still wet from the shower he just took, but soon a voice breaks him away from his thoughts. “I’m nervous.”

Daehwi turns to find the source of the voice, and finds Woojin leaning over the edge of the bed to look at him. “Of course you are, this could be your future,” Daehwi whispers to the older. “Besides, you don’t have to apply right now. You’re just going to see if you like the campus.” 

Woojin seems to calm at the younger’s words, and he nods and rolls back over. “Thanks for coming with me.”

“Anytime.”

“Goodnight, Daehwi.”

“Goodnight, Woojin.”

 

The next day starts with a bang.

The bang being the sound of Woojin’s body hitting the floor as he falls out of bed. 

Luckily for Daehwi, he fell on the side he wasn’t sleeping on, or else he would have been crushed. The older was a dancer, with dancer muscles, after all. It also meant that after the initial shock of what had happened had worn off, Daehwi was able to laugh at the older. “Told you the bed wasn’t big enough for the both of us.”

This earns Daehwi a glare. “Shut up, you better be glad I didn’t fall on top of you.” 

Rubbing the sleep out of their eyes, the boys exit the bedroom to find the rest of the quiet. A small note resting on the kitchen table informs them that Woojin’s aunt has already left for work, and told them to enjoy a day out in Seoul. The university tour wasn’t until tomorrow, and Daehwi did want to go out and explore the city.

“Let’s get ready and go out,” Woojin’s husky voice speaks Daehwi’s thoughts. A quick nod of affirmation is all Woojin needs to return to the shared bedroom and begin to throw on clothing. Daehwi follows behind him, digging through his bag to find something to wear out for their day out in the city. He finally finds something that he deems wearable and is changed in no time.

After a short amount of time, the boys are finally both ready and out the door, Woojin grabbing Daehwi’s hand and dragging him to the nearest corner to catch the bus into the busy streets of Seoul. The wait is short, so they are on the bus in no time. Woojin spends 5 minutes trying to convince Daehwi to switch seats with him so the older could sit beside the window. After much pleading, Daehwi finally obliges. 

“Can we get breakfast?”

“Of course, Woojin.”

“And go shopping.”

“Of course.” 

“And-“ 

Daehwi quiets the boy by turning his head sharply to look at him. “Woojin, we can do whatever you want.” Woojin visibly relaxes into his seat after that. 

Arriving at the heart in Seoul takes no time at all, and before Daehwi can get his bearings, Woojin is dragging him down to the street to find some food. It takes Woojin a while to decide, but eventually he settles on a small food stand in a market that they happened to stumble upon. Their small meal is delicious, but eventually Woojin has them moving again, and soon they arrive at some clothing store.

“You brought our money, right?” Woojin asks Daehwi over his shoulder, his eyes still focused on the front of the store. By the looks of it, Daehwi knew that this was a place where he could spend all of his money buying a single shirt.

“I brought my money, I think you mean.” Daehwi worked hard to save up spare bills here and there, whether they be from his mother or from doing small things for families living in his neighborhood. 

“Same thing,” mumbles Woojin, glaring at Daehwi once before taking the few steps needed to walk through the store’s huge doors.

 

Daehwi refuses to let Woojin buy a single item of clothing in this store. The younger finds everything ridiculously overpriced, and isn’t afraid to let the other know.

“Woojin, I could knit something that looked better than that,” he offhandedly comments to the boy holding some sweater monstrosity up in front of him. They have been at this for a little over 30 minutes now, and Daehwi is starting to get tired of it. 

“You’re just jealous because you don’t know what real fashion is,” Woojin states as Daehwi scoffs, but puts the item of clothing back onto the rack nonetheless. The boy takes a few more articles of various degrees of fur off of the racks before Daehwi finally decides that enough is enough and drags the older out of the store by his ear and back onto the streets. 

“Lee Daehwi, you have no right to be touching my ears like that,” Woojin grumbles once the other boy releases his ear from the tight pinch of his fingers. They spend the rest of their morning browsing the different stores, whether they be big or small. Eventually, after much pleading, Daehwi is able to convince Woojin to leave his shopping extravaganza to get something to eat. 

They find a sushi place, and the boys are quick to sit down and order their meals. While they wait, Woojin makes small talk with the younger, a combination of what he wanted to do for the rest of their day and how nervous he was to see the school tomorrow. “I think I might apply tomorrow,” Woojin offhandedly gushes in the middle of his rambling, causing Daehwi to meet Woojin’s eyes in surprise. 

“Woojin, what did you say?” Daehwi slowly asks the older.

“Well, I was saying that I heard the gardens of Seoul are nice-“

“Not that, Woojin. You want to apply tomorrow? As in, the day after today?”

A look of realization crosses Woojin’s face after his confession dawns on him. “I mean, yeah?” His answer comes out like a question, and he clears his throat. “I just was thinking last night, why come all the way here and then not give it my all? I want to apply, even if I don’t get it. I Just want to put myself out there.”

Daehwi’s grin takes his entire face. “That’s huge, Woojin!” The younger tries to contain his smile, but fails miserably when he sees Woojin smiling as well. “I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks.” Woojin’s smile isn’t quick to leave his face, much like Daehwi’s. The younger was about to say something else, but before he could, their food arrives.

Their lunch is filling, and soon after eating they begin to walk the streets once more, abandoning their will to shop, and instead just marvel at the beauty of the city. They are in the middle of walking through a small garden of flowers when Woojin suddenly turns to Daehwi. “Thank you for coming with me,” the older half-whispers, surprising Daehwi. “I don’t think I would have been able to do this without you being with me.”

Daehwi is surprised by Woojin’s sudden confession, but he smiles nonetheless. “Of course, Woojin, you’re my best friend, after all. What else are best friends for?” Best friends, best friends, best friends. Those words are driving Daehwi absolutely insane. Those words are constantly reminding him that Woojin isn’t his, and will never be his. 

After appreciating nature for a few more minutes, the two begin to make their way back to their temporary home. Daehwi had begun to complain about his feet hurting, and the last thing Woojin wanted to do was carry the younger all the way back to the spot they would be catching the bus back. 

The bus ride to the apartment was silent, and while Daehwi found comfort in the quiet, it was unnerving. He was expecting Woojin to be talking his ear off the entire time, like usual, but the older boy is uncharacteristically emotionless. The walk back to the apartment is a quiet one as well, and Daehwi doesn’t know if Woojin is just tired, or if something else is bothering him. 

Daehwi doesn’t bring it up until they’re in the comfort of the spare bedroom for the night, Woojin’s aunt already retired to her room for the night. “Is everything okay, Woojin?” His voice is soft, but his face is twisted in concern, Woojin was putting his clothes away in his bag, before sitting up to face the younger. “Not really.”

Joining Woojin on the bed, the younger tucks his legs under himself and faces the boy sitting with him. “Do you want to talk?” A million things are running through Daehwi’s head right now, and they all have to do with Woojin. 

“Jihoon and I, we’re taking a break?” Woojin says it like a question, making Daehwi cock his head to the side. “A few days before we left, I stayed at his house,” Woojin begins his story, his eyes not leaving his lap. “We were lying in bed talking, and everything was fine, but my heart didn’t feel right. It didn’t jump like it used to when Jihoon held my hand, or kissed me.” Daehwi tries to hide his flinch, instead trying to play it off as him changing his position on the bed. 

“I don’t know what came over me, but he had his arm around me, and I just turned over in bed and told him I wanted to take a break from dating, and he said he understood, moved his arm, and turned over.” 

Daehwi doesn’t know what to say, so instead he wraps his arms around Woojin’s neck, pulling his best friend into a tight embrace. “I’m sorry, Woojin. I know you liked him a lot.” The younger feels Woojin nod into his shoulder, his arms wrapping around the younger. They stay in each other’s embrace for a few minutes longer, Daehwi stilling on his knees, Woojin burying his face in the younger’s neck. 

Heart thumping loud in his chest, Daehwi is the first to pull away. Before he can slide off the bed though, Woojin is grabbing his hand. “Lay with me, just for tonight?” 

Daehwi doesn’t trust himself to speak, so instead nods. He always found it hard to say no to Woojin. They don’t speak anymore, instead Daehwi slips under the covers, Woojin laying beside him. He makes sure to face away from Woojin, not trusting his heart to be able to stare in the older’s eyes as they try to fall asleep. 

“Goodnight, Daehwi.”

“Goodnight, Woojin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, you can find me on twitter, my user being @daehwisclub come yell about chamhwi with me in my dms


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